1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Right now. I actually want to head across to Catherine 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: because I received a message yesterday or actually towards the 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: end of last week that said, Hi, Katie. Not sure 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: if you've been talking about this, but there's a fire 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: that's burning at the Edith Cotton Gin. And they say 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: that it's well local, saying that it's caught in seed. 7 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: But this person's saying it smells like plastic wrap and 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: it's been burning for a number of days. Now joining 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: me on the line, I'm very excited to say that 10 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: some of you might know this person. Her name is 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: Lauren Loss. She used to be on breakfast here at 12 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: Mix one O four nine with Rick many years ago. 13 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Lauren. 14 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you? 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: Ah? So good? How wonderful to hear your voice. 16 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 2: It's been a while, it's been almost twenty years, which 17 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 2: is scary. 18 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: It is scary. We're both grown up a bit since then. 19 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: Loss, no doubt. 20 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: Now, unfortunately, are you, you know, having a chat about 21 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: something that's not so nice, and that is this fire 22 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: that's been burning at the Cotton Gin. 23 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: What's the go Listen, Katie, it's been well. From my understanding, 24 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: we in the Edith Farm's community. So me and my 25 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 2: family live on Edith Farms Road and we're part of 26 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 2: the Edith Farm's community. Members of that community and myself 27 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 2: has been able to smell a very acrid, almost rubbish 28 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: burning like smell since around the nineteenth of October. A 29 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: couple of days after that, it was about the Wednesday 30 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 2: last weekness smoke became so thick that you couldn't see 31 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: the end of Edith Farms Road. I only lived about 32 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: a kilometer from the end of it, like to the 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: highway on Edith Farm's Road, and we couldn't see the 34 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: end of the road. That the smoke was seeping into 35 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: our homes and waking us up at night, which it's 36 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: still doing. And it started to seep into the township 37 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: of Catherine as well, so locals here and Catherine can 38 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: smell the burning smell. It wasn't until last Friday when 39 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: you know, members of the Edith Farms community started to 40 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: kick up a stink so to speak, at saying what's 41 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: going on? Why haven't we been informed? Very clearly? When 42 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: you drive past the Cotton Gin on the highway, you 43 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 2: can see that there's a fire burning there. Another member 44 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: of our community rang up and spoke to the general 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 2: manager of the cotton gin and he said, yeah, look, 46 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: it's cotton seed. It got a little bit hot and 47 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: then it's spontaneously conbusted and it's burning. Its non toxic. 48 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: Everything will be okay. Now, what we as community members 49 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: are concerned about is that the quick Google search will 50 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: very quickly tell you that unrefined cotton seed burning is 51 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: not non toxic. It causes acute poisoning, respiratory problems, and 52 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 2: can cause infertility problems. So then we were also told 53 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 2: by the general manager that it will burn for up 54 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 2: to three more weeks. 55 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: Wow. 56 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: So we've been breathing it in for over a week 57 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 2: and a half, we're expected to breathe it in for 58 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 2: another three weeks. There's over four hundred families live out 59 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: in the Edith Farms Edith community, and we haven't been told. 60 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: We haven't been informed up until a week use me 61 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: a week after the fact that we could smell it 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: in our homes and we're angry about it and we 63 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 2: want to know what's going to be done to put 64 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 2: it out. Apparently they've tried to put it out and 65 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: then they were told that they couldn't smother it. No 66 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 2: one could dig the ground because it's too hard, so 67 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: that wasn't an option to bury the fire. Wow, I 68 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: couldn't put it out with water, So we want to 69 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: know what's going to happen in the future. While we 70 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: communicated with earlier, there are ways to get in touch 71 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 2: with the Edith Farm's community, whether that's through our volunteer 72 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 2: Volunteer Fire Brigade or our community Facebook page. And we 73 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: just want answers. 74 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: Basically, yeah, which I think is absolutely fair enough. Five 75 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: one answers as well, like Lass, how thick is this 76 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: smoke and what's it like for you in terms of 77 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: trying to go about your daily business. 78 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: It's Look, it's the winds change direction. As you know 79 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 2: in the build up, it tends to blow from the northwest, 80 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 2: so that means it's actually flowing into our homes now 81 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: and it's difficult. I've been getting My youngest daughter's developed 82 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,839 Speaker 2: a cough in the last week. Whether that's related, I'm 83 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: not sure. There are elderly people who live in our 84 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: community as well who already have respiratory problems and it's 85 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: very difficult to breathe, and it's difficult to see while 86 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: we're driving into town. So it's not nice, especially when 87 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: it's waking you up at night in that stiller part 88 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: of the day where there is no wind and it's 89 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 2: just sitting their stagnant, and it's not good enough. 90 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: No, it's I mean, it sounds like it'd be a 91 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: terrible situation to be in. I mean in terms of 92 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,119 Speaker 1: like I mean, it might sound like a weird question. 93 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: But what's it like in terms of the sky, And 94 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,559 Speaker 1: you know the density I suppose of the air. 95 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: So yesterday I went for a run at about five 96 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 2: point thirty which I was running up Eve's arm throat, 97 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: and you can see where the inversion layer is, so 98 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 2: where the hot temperature coming off the ground, the hot 99 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: air coming off the ground meets with the cooler air 100 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: up in the sky. There is a definite line of 101 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: putrid air towards the ground in that in that inversion layer, 102 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 2: you can definitely see how congested this guy is and 103 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 2: how dirty and smokey it is. Like I said, all 104 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: you have to do is drive past the cotton Gin 105 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: if you're heading towards Darwin from Catherine, and you can 106 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 2: see that it's burning and burning and burning. The smoke 107 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 2: is prolific. 108 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: We loss let us make some calls. You know, I 109 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: think at the very least I would suspect that the 110 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: local member, who I believe is Joe Hersey, I'd be 111 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: trying to seek some you know, if I was her 112 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: I'd be trying to get some answers from that Cotton 113 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: gin as to you know, what steps can be taken 114 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: here to First off, you know, get this fire out 115 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: and try to mitigate the risk of it happening again. 116 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: I know that you've been told or that certainly you 117 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: guys got told it's a spontaneous combustion. But then you know, 118 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: what's what are the next steps in terms of it 119 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: not happening again or trying to prevent it from getting 120 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: to this point again if it's even possible. 121 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 2: That's right, Katie. We know it's going to happen again 122 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 2: because we live in a very hot climate and we've 123 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: had rain, it's gotten wet, and it's spontaneously combusted. It's 124 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: going to happen. Want to know why wasn't there safety 125 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 2: measures put in place before? What are the safety measures 126 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: moving forward? Many of our community community members have been 127 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 2: in touch with the EPA. I certainly haven't haven't had 128 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 2: any response I've also emailed Joe Hersey and I texted 129 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 2: her directly on the weekend and she said she's been 130 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 2: in Parliament for two weeks and wasn't aware. I've still 131 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 2: had no response back from Joe, so we're just sitting 132 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 2: here with no answers expected to breathe in toxic fumes. 133 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: Laws. Let us see what we can find out and 134 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: you know, and yeah, well we'll stay in touch. I'm 135 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: sure you'll stay in touch. In fact, I think I've 136 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: just found, you know, my newest correspondent for Catherine. 137 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: Really, thanks down here in kown. 138 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: I love it. It's so good to talk to you. Yeah, 139 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you making us aware of this issue as. 140 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 2: Well, no worries. Thanks for having me. 141 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: Thank you. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks Los